Creativity and humor are often the first weapons that Ukrainians use. The ongoing EuroMaidan protests have been no exception, with countless funny banners and posters popping up, many of them making President Viktor Yanukovych the butt of the jokes.
When the Ukrainian government decided to suspend the country’s European integration on Nov. 21, thousands of young Ukrainians came out on the streets to protest the decision with funny posters like “Ukraine, WTF?!”, “No Putin No Cry” and “Europe, dear, we are coming back home.” The banner saying “Putin, if you love us – let us go!” became famous.
“I look at the relationships of Russia and Ukraine as at the relationships of lovers that broke up, but one of them is still in denial and tries hard to get his ex-girlfriend or wife back with all the possible ways,” says Lviv-born Zoryan Kis, a human rights activist.
Kis joined the protests on its first day. He drew the “Putin, if you love us – let us go!” banner and still brings it to the rallies. On the other side of the now shabby-looking poster, Kis attached a poster reading “Wanting to join Customs Union is a sexual perversion.”
“This one is very clear I guess. They say that EU promotes sexual perversions, while in fact the real perversion is wanting to give our country back to Russia,” he explained.
Dozens of tents established in Independence Square are covered with handwritten slogans, printed posters and witty drawings. “Is it not bad enough for you that Yanukovych is your president; you smoke too,” says an A4 format paper attached to the wall of Kyiv’s Main Post Office. Another paper says: “Don’t steal Christmas tree toys, you are not Yanukovych.” It hangs on the real Christmas tree that the protesters established near the Kyiv City Administration, one of the two administrative buildings seized during the mass rally on Dec. 1.
After the brutal dispersal of protesters on Nov. 30, the tone of posters became angrier. “Yanyk, are you stupid or what?” read a big poster. “Yanyk” is a short mocking name for President Yanukovych.
One says: “The vegetable has ripened – time to harvest” depicts Yanukovych as a vegetable. Among others are “Yanukovych, we are fucking angry!” and “Azirov, go to ass!” with Prime Minister Mykola Azarov’s last name misspelled to mock Azarov’s poor Ukrainian language skills.
Oleksandr Kravchenko, a 25-year-old tourism manager from Kyiv, created the Azarov one. The other side of the banner reads: “Respect Human Rights. No violence.”
“At some point I wanted to cover the word ass, but ‘Respect Human Rights’ wasn’t even nearly as popular,” Kravchenko laughs.
But the biggest burst of creativity took place online. Memes and photo-shopped pictures making fun of Ukrainian politicians, police and prosecutors were shared by everyone sympathetic to the protest, as well as motivating posters.
Andrey Zelinsky, an art director from Kyiv, is the author of a pile of them. The first poster he made depicted shadowy Kyiv and two riot policemen beating a protester, reading “Welcome. Ukraine.”
“I draw that the day I woke up and realized that I live in police state,” Zelinskyi explained.
He says he first came out to the streets after Nov. 30. “Before that I was of course sharing the European ideas, but thought that people won’t rise,” he said. Now Zelinskyi believes that even though the whole EuroMaidan protest was “definitely planned by someone,” the sincere public movement has already overcome all the scenarios.
“I will keep making posters. If the revolution fails, they will be a nice way to lead the information war, and if it wins they will be a good festive addition,” he said.
After a month of active rallying in Kyiv, protesters keep finding more and more creative ways to keep the revolution going. Even protesters’ pets are joining the crowd now.
Kyiv pensioner Valentyna Gutnichenk takes her dog Tina, who runs around in a red coat with a poster attached “We are Kyivans and we support Maidan!”, to Maidan Nezalezhnosti every night.
“She really loves those nights, as volunteers play ball with her here,” the owner added. “You know (lawmaker Mykhaylo) Chechetov says that there are no people here, only gangs and animals. He is right in a way, even animals are here,” Gutnichenko explains.
Kyvi Post staff writer Daryna Shevchenko can be reached at [email protected]om
